FlatOut 4: Total Insanity Reviews
Overall, Flatout 4 is an admirable resurrection of a franchise once considered on par with Burnout. Thing is, that sort of game has become passe in the age of realism, and it’s unlikely that Flatout 4 is going to bring it back to the forefront of racing games. Still, if like me, you miss these sort of non-serious racing and crashing extravaganzas, you’re not likely going to be disappointed in Flatout 4. It’s a bit of a dinosaur, sure – but I wouldn’t turn away a Stegosaur if I saw one either.
FlatOut 4: Total Insanity is better than I'd feared but not as good as I'd hoped. Kylotonn has dredged this near-forgotten racing rebel from the very bottom of the barrel and fashioned it into a basic but fun, stunt-filled speedster, but I found myself regularly frustrated with its repetitive career mode, its stingy economy and nebulous unlockables, its superficial demolition derby events, and its uneven difficulty. A respectable franchise rescue mission but one that still needs some fine tuning and some extra grunt.
FlatOut 4: Total Insanity is a fun, nitro-boosted jaunt down memory lane. But while it's good in small does, its lack of variety - in spite a plethora of game modes - and uneven and sometimes frustrating racing experience leaves it running out of gas. Die hard franchise stalwarts should definitely have a look, but newcomers may find it tiring.
Good arcade racing title with original and fun game modes. However, if you want to try it, better wait for a discount.
Review in Polish | Read full review
FlatOut 4 could have been a much better experience if its car physics were improved and it had a more varied career mode.
FlatOut 4: Total Insanity is a valiant effort and a modestly satisfactory sequel. Its track design and relative speeds help make it a much better destructive racer than the last effort. However, it still requires tuning when it comes to stunts, visuals, physics, and vehicle damage.
Flatout 4 feels like a game destined to reinvigorate the franchise and just ran out of steam. I am a massive fan of the original game and its sequel, and while this is light years beyond the abomination that was the third game, it still falls short. More tracks, more variety, and some much needed polish would have gone a long way in bringing back this cult classic. As it stands though, arcade racers still sit dormant in today's gaming landscape.
Perhaps the main takeaway here is that FlatOut 4: Total Insanity is safer than its name suggests. There's not a lot to criticise in terms of its execution, but its ambition feels firmly rooted in the PlayStation 2 era. There's nothing particularly wrong with that, and if you're looking for a distraction to occupy between juggernaut releases, then the PS4 isn't host to many destructive racers that are better. But while there's fun to be had while you're playing, don't expect this above average car crash to live long in the memory at all.
FlatOut 4 starts fast, furious, and certainly makes for plenty of early fun. However, after that initial adrenaline boost has passed, there comes a question about the longevity of the title.
An irrelevant and bumpy action racing game whose core idea has now overtaken itself.
Review in German | Read full review
Flatout 4 is an unpretentious racing game; funny and unremarkable, it's characterized by a driving system easy to learn but not quite satisfying enough.
Review in Italian | Read full review
All up, FlatOut 4: Total Insanity is quite an improvement over the last game in the franchise.
The short-lived but exciting FlatOut modes are great fun for a minute, but between the unexciting visuals, frustratingly unpredictable collision physics and overly aggressive AI, racing in FlatOut 4 is too hostile to be fun.
While it is heads and shoulders above its predecessor, FlatOut 4 still leaves you wanting more. Fine tuning the difficulty and career mode would go a long way to redeeming the one time great FlatOut franchise.
FlatOut 4: Total Insanity is what you make out of it. Though its Career mode drags on, the game has a number of different options that are sure to appeal to almost any kind of racer. It's not the most polished or refined racer on the market today, but its raw thrills will resonate with old-school gearheads yearning for days gone by.
FlatOut 4 is an over-the-top racer that's got the potential to entertain. However, the stingy payouts and an unrewarding unlock/progression system flattens a few tyres and holds back this decent game from being a great one.
FlatOut 4: Total Insanity fixed the issues of the previous game, but it's still not enough. If the biggest problem of the game centered around crashes is the collision model, then it's not worth much. If you're tolerant enough, maybe the game will appeal to you, just wait for a discount.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
There should be no doubt that long-time fans of the series will be happy to finally have FlatOut return, but it will be more for the lack of anything like it available on the market right now, rather than the quality of the game this time round
Flatout 4 brings the franchise into the modern day and gets away from the line with a dash, but nonsensical progression and frustrating AI quickly kills its drive.
We desperately tried to like FlatOut 4, but we simply couldn't. Despite some fun game modes and a decent multiplayer offering, the gameplay is sooo confusing, and bugs abound all around. Well, the steep price doesn't help either.
Review in Italian | Read full review